Manchester United have confirmed the signing of Crewe Alexandra youngster Nick Powell for an undisclosed fee.

The 18-year-old has been linked with several Premier League clubs in recent months, with the Mirror reporting last week that Arsenal and Chelsea were also in the reckoning.

However, a statement on ManUtd.com confirmed that the England under 18 international has chosen to move to Old Trafford and has now passed a medical and signed a four-year contract. The transfer will officially completed on July 1st 2012 but the exact fee has yet to be disclosed.

Sir Alex Ferguson told ManUtd.com:

“We have scouted Nick for months now. He is an exceptional talent and has been schooled well at Crewe.

“I’m delighted he has chosen to come to United. He has a lot to offer and we are all looking forward to working with him.”

Powell himself claimed it’s a dream come true to sign for United and can’t wait to continue his development under the stewardship of Sir Alex:

“It really is a dream come true to be signing for Manchester United. I have had a great time at Crewe and I would like to thank them for helping me to develop as a player over the past 13 years.

“I’m excited about continuing my development with Sir Alex and the world-class players in the squad. The thought of making the step up to the Premier League next season is an exciting prospect. I can’t wait to get started.”

Powell became one of the most exciting young strikers outside the Premier League after netting 16 goals for Crewe last season. His most memorable goal came at Wembley when he hit a stunning strike to help Crewe on their way to a 2-0 win over Cheltenham in the League 2 play-off final.

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